diff --git a/lib/sapporo_light/Makefile b/lib/sapporo_light/Makefile
index 41328e5d08..eb6a049d43 100644
--- a/lib/sapporo_light/Makefile
+++ b/lib/sapporo_light/Makefile
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ $(DYNAMIC_LIB): $(OBJS) $(CUOBJS)
 	$(NVCC) $(NVCCFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
 $(PKG_CONFIG_FILE):
-	$(file >$@,$(PKG_CONFIG_CONTENTS))
+	# the file function is not available on old macOS make, so we make do with this
+	printf '' >$@
+	$(foreach line,$(PKG_CONFIG_CONTENTS),printf '%s\n' '$(line)' >>$@;)
 
 
 .PHONY: clean
diff --git a/src/amuse/rfi/tools/dir_templates/Makefile_cxx b/src/amuse/rfi/tools/dir_templates/Makefile_cxx
index 6ff6c82c2d..54cb0d1f34 100644
--- a/src/amuse/rfi/tools/dir_templates/Makefile_cxx
+++ b/src/amuse/rfi/tools/dir_templates/Makefile_cxx
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ VERSION = VERSION
 	##### Modify URL as needed #####
 	$(DOWNLOAD) https://github.com/{code}/{code}/archive/$(VERSION).tar.gz >$@
 
-PATCHES := $(file < patches/series)
-PATCHES := $(patsubst %,%,$(PATCHES))    # replace newlines with spaces
+PATCHES := $(shell cat patches/series)
 
 src/{code}-$(VERSION): {code}.tar.gz
 	##### Modify as needed #####
diff --git a/src/amuse/rfi/tools/dir_templates/Makefile_fortran b/src/amuse/rfi/tools/dir_templates/Makefile_fortran
index 390007e28a..c871b11667 100644
--- a/src/amuse/rfi/tools/dir_templates/Makefile_fortran
+++ b/src/amuse/rfi/tools/dir_templates/Makefile_fortran
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ VERSION = VERSION
 	##### Modify URL as needed #####
 	$(DOWNLOAD) https://github.com/{code}/{code}/archive/$(VERSION).tar.gz >$@
 
-PATCHES := $(file < patches/series)
-PATCHES := $(patsubst %,%,$(PATCHES))    # replace newlines with spaces
+PATCHES := $(shell cat patches/series)
 
 src/{code}-$(VERSION): {code}.tar.gz
 	##### Modify as needed #####
diff --git a/src/amuse_mesa_r15140/Makefile b/src/amuse_mesa_r15140/Makefile
index 3969ab73a9..e00e63867f 100644
--- a/src/amuse_mesa_r15140/Makefile
+++ b/src/amuse_mesa_r15140/Makefile
@@ -42,9 +42,7 @@ src/mesa-$(MESA_VERSION).zip:
 
 MESA_DIR := src/mesa-$(MESA_VERSION)
 
-PATCHES := $(file < patches/series_mesa)
-PATCHES := $(patsubst %,%,$(PATCHES))    # replace newlines with spaces
-
+PATCHES := $(shell cat patches/series)
 
 $(MESA_DIR): src/mesa-$(MESA_VERSION).zip
 	cd src && unzip -q ../$<
diff --git a/src/amuse_mesa_r2208/Makefile b/src/amuse_mesa_r2208/Makefile
index 06c7e8289f..4dacc2cb95 100644
--- a/src/amuse_mesa_r2208/Makefile
+++ b/src/amuse_mesa_r2208/Makefile
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ support/config.mk:
 mesa_r2208.zip:
 	$(DOWNLOAD) https://zenodo.org/record/2603017/files/mesa-r2208.zip >$@
 
-PATCHES := $(file < patches/series)
-PATCHES := $(patsubst %,%,$(PATCHES))    # replace newlines with spaces
+PATCHES := $(shell cat patches/series)
 
 src/mesa: mesa_r2208.zip
 	mkdir -p src
diff --git a/src/amuse_mocassin/Makefile b/src/amuse_mocassin/Makefile
index 8567ff41ae..046639c323 100644
--- a/src/amuse_mocassin/Makefile
+++ b/src/amuse_mocassin/Makefile
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ VERSION = 2.02.70
 mocassin.$(VERSION).tar.gz:
 	$(DOWNLOAD) https://amuse.strw.leidenuniv.nl/codes/mocassin.$(VERSION).tar.gz >$@
 
-PATCHES := $(file < patches/series)
-PATCHES := $(patsubst %,%,$(PATCHES))    # replace newlines with spaces
+PATCHES := $(shell cat patches/series)
 
 src:
 	mkdir -p src
diff --git a/src/amuse_mpiamrvac/Makefile b/src/amuse_mpiamrvac/Makefile
index 360c04bd6e..40629593fa 100644
--- a/src/amuse_mpiamrvac/Makefile
+++ b/src/amuse_mpiamrvac/Makefile
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ VERSION = r187
 mpiamrvac.tar.gz:
 	$(DOWNLOAD) http://amuse.strw.leidenuniv.nl/codes/mpiamrvac-$(VERSION).tgz >$@
 
-PATCHES := $(file < patches/series)
-PATCHES := $(patsubst %,%,$(PATCHES))    # replace newlines with spaces
+PATCHES := $(shell cat patches/series)
 
 src/mpiamrvac: | mpiamrvac.tar.gz
 	tar xf $|
diff --git a/support/shared/lib-targets.mk b/support/shared/lib-targets.mk
index fa7154fb25..12bb618ad0 100644
--- a/support/shared/lib-targets.mk
+++ b/support/shared/lib-targets.mk
@@ -91,7 +91,9 @@ $(DYNAMIC_LIB): $(OBJS)
 	$(FC) $(FCFLAGS) -c -o $*.o $<
 
 $(PKG_CONFIG_FILE):
-	$(file >$@,$(PKG_CONFIG_CONTENTS))
+	# the file function is not available on old macOS make, so we make do with this
+	printf '' >$@
+	$(foreach line,$(PKG_CONFIG_CONTENTS),printf '%s\n' '$(line)' >>$@;)
 
 
 ifdef DYNAMIC_LIB_MPI
@@ -106,7 +108,9 @@ endif
 	$(MPIFC) $(FCFLAGS) $(CFLAGS_MPI) -c -o $*.mo $<
 
 $(PKG_CONFIG_FILE_MPI):
-	$(file >$@,$(PKG_CONFIG_CONTENTS_MPI))
+	# the file function is not available on old macOS make, so we make do with this
+	printf '' >$@
+	$(foreach line,$(PKG_CONFIG_CONTENTS_MPI),printf '%s\n' '$(line)' >>$@;)
 
 
 # Clean up